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Each forwarder will likely have their own shipping options and prices to reflect each option.

I use AmericasMailbox because I don't need everything sent and would prefer to have some of my mail opened and scanned for me instead. They do ship internationally but I only have important things like credit/debit cards or government stuff like taxes forwarded physically.

I'm thinking of moving to Davao so I'm trying to get all the necessary items taken care of. One of my first questions is how do you get your mail forwarded? I have no.one here that would do it. I've read about some mail forwarding but haven't seen much really about them. Which ones are legitimate and reliable? How do they send your mail to the Philippines ? I have many other things I could use advice on if this is the correct venue. Thanks for your time and consideration. RegardsTravelnman59 - @Travelnman59

One example of a forwarder that some expats use is iPostal. They give you a street address to have your mail sent, like others I suppose. You wouldn't want everything forwarded; instead you want to see the mail first online, then pick out the envelopes etc. to open and just forward the important ones. It seems like a perfect solution BUT: Banks and other financial institutions have something called KYC (know your customer) with rules forced upon them by the federal government.

Now, it is perfectly legal for an overseas expat to live in the Phils and have accounts in the States. The problem is, might they suspect you are a m@ney l@underer, a dr@g dealer or a terr@rist operating overseas? For that reason, many or most of them want you to give them a physical address where you could actually live at (of course you aren't there most of the time but they may want real KYC address, not virtual). These institutions do not really suspect you are a criminal percse. and they really want your businesa but only as long as your being there does not add to their presumed KYC risk profile, so, they are pretty diligent with KYC.

They may question (they did ask me), Is your USA address real? Might they check the rather small database of mail forwarder addresses and find your's there and reject your address? In addition to giving a real address I gave them a real USA Google Fi American cell number that also works in the Phils as my e-sim.

Over the last few years I have been KYCd pretty much by my institutions over issues affecting purchases, 2FA and security; they know I am a permanent resident overseas but still want a physical address in the USA. They apparently think I need to be at least a partial resident in the US. Actually, I am but I don't have my own address聽 So I give them my daughter's address and say I live there when in the US...not a lie.

But it would be a lie if I give them an iPostal forwarder virtual address.

Once in a great while I have to ask my daughter to DHL me credit and debit cards and I have no longer any use for the other mail since in all cases, you can choose to have important communications from agencies like SSA and IRS send all communications online.

So, my answer to your question is, there are plenty of places in the USA to send your mail to for forwarding here (NOTE: This now requires a notarized USPS form to allow the company to receive your mail!). Your only problem may be your financial institutions' willingness to accept their virtual address. Or, at first they may accept but they may later reject it when they find out it is virtual.. Such are the joys of USA KYC and being an American expat. Yet many US expats havent complained, or noticed...yet. They have no problems but they may have been here for only a few years as well. The wheels of KYC can turn slowly.

If it weren't for my daughter and her address, I might have to switch to Phils banks and (their extremely low limit) credit cards. Maybe, maybe not.. Because depositing SSA payments in a Phils bank is possible but terribly inconvenient when you get sick and cannot visit the bank to pick up your cash (American SSA requirement, not the bank's) , that prospect might convince me to return home for the remainder.

If my bank and cc company were sure to accept a virtual address, iPostal would be a great solution. But even they will tell you that some places will not accept a virtual forwarder address. Not reassuring...

I'm thinking of moving to Davao so I'm trying to get all the necessary items taken care of. One of my first questions is how do you get your mail forwarded? I have no.one here that would do it. I've read about some mail forwarding but haven't seen much really about them. Which ones are legitimate and reliable? How do they send your mail to the Philippines ?
I have many other things I could use advice on if this is the correct venue.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Regards
Travelnman59 - @Travelnman59

One example of a forwarder that some expats use is iPostal. They give you a street address to have your mail sent, like others I suppose. You wouldn't want everything forwarded; instead you want to see the mail first online, then pick out the envelopes etc. to open and just forward the important ones. It seems like a perfect solution BUT: Banks and other financial institutions have something called KYC (know your customer) with rules forced upon them by the federal government.

Now, it is perfectly legal for an overseas expat to live in the Phils and have accounts in the States. The problem is, might they suspect you are a m@ney l@underer, a dr@g dealer or a terr@rist operating overseas? For that reason, many or most of them want you to give them a physical address where you could actually live at (of course you aren't there most of the time but they may want real KYC address, not virtual). These institutions do not really suspect you are a criminal percse. and they really want your businesa but only as long as your being there does not add to their presumed KYC risk profile, so, they are pretty diligent with KYC.

They may question (they did ask me), Is your USA address real? Might they check the rather small database of mail forwarder addresses and find your's there and reject your address? In addition to giving a real address I gave them a real Google Fi cell number that works in the Phils as my e-sim.

Over the last few years I have been KYCd pretty much by my institutions over issues affecting purchases, 2FA and security; they know I am a permanent resident overseas but still want a physical address in the USA. They apparently think I need to be at least a partial resident in the US. Actually, I am but I don't have my own address聽 So I give them my daughter's address and say I live there when in the US...not a lie.

But it would be a lie if I give them an iPostal forwarder address.

Once in a great while I have to ask my daughter to DHL me credit and debit cards and I have no longer any use for the other mail since in all cases, you can choose to have important communications from agencies like SSA and IRS send all communications online.

So, my answer to your question is, there are plenty of places in the USA to send your mail to for forwarding here (NOTE: This now requires a notarized USPS form to allow the company to receive your mail!). Your only problem may be your financial institutions' willingness to accept their virtual address. Or, at first they may accept but they may later reject it when they find out it is virtual.. Such are the joys of USA KYC and being an American expat. Yet many US expats havent complained, or noticed...yet. They have no problems but they may have been here for only a few years as well. The wheels of KYC can turn slowly.

If it weren't for my daughter and her address, I might have to switch to Phils banks and (their extremely low limit) credit cards. Maybe, maybe not.. Because depositing SSA payments in a Phils bank is possible but terribly inconvenient when you get sick and cannot visit the bank to pick up your cash (American SSA requirement, not the bank's) , that prospect might convince me to return home for the remainder.

If my bank and cc company were sure to accept a virtual address, iPostal would be a great solution. But even they will tell you that some places will not accept a virtual forwarder address. Not reassuring...

Thanks so much for the prompt reply and information.聽 I'm sure I'll have other questions later and it's reassuring to know there are people out there I can go to

I live in Davao and use Traveling Mail Box

I have had no issues with either my bank in US聽 (that knows I live here) or with Social Security, Schwab, or credit card companies.

I just changed my address on their website and made sure I got a confirmation of change.

About every 3 months I pay around $50 to have any important mail sent via Fed Ex. They also have an open and scan & email service that鈥檚 good if your not sure if the item is important or junk

Hey, that's exactly what I need to know.聽 I plan on living in Davao as soon as I can sell my house and get things in order.

I don't want to be too pushy聽 but would you object if I ask you questions about life in Davao?

Regards.

Richard

No problem

will try to answer

sent you PM

Thanks si much. I have a question about health insurance.聽 Here is my situation.聽 I want to purchase health insurance for my fiancee 45 , her daughter 12 and her mom 70

My age makes insurance for me prohibited but I would want them to have the best coverage I can afford

Can you recommend a legitimate insurance company? I have had some obvious scams.

On Facebook search for a group called

鈥滺ealth insurance in the Philippines 鈥�

a lot of people use him

i self insure due to the low cost of medical treatment here

check out PhilHealth for your fianc茅e and family members

Thanks so much for your prompt reply

I'll check the website you recommend.

Regards

@Travelnman59

Hi,

Have you ever been in the Philippines? If not, then don't sell your house in the USA, find someone who takes care of your dog and stay here for a month. In the same place where you want to go now.

Have you ever met your girlfriend or is she from a dating site? If you know her, please consider that when you move to the Philippines that you will marry the whole family. They consider you as a rich person from the USA and as you are rich even if you are not, you are expected to support her family. The doctor and the medicine for the mother, the kid in highschool and the new clothes for your girlfriend. And you also want to pay for their health insurance. While some people have that, many prefer to pay the doctors directly and not to fight with the insurance when they don't want to pay. A possible way out is to set a budget to give to your girlfriend. e.g. 400 USD/month

You should know that you are considered as a big catch as a white man from the USA. And there are two types of girls here. Some want to have a better life and some are so called "Golddiggers". As your fiance has a daughter and a mother to support she might be looking for a better life but this is not for sure. You will notice this in the first weeks when she asks you for money. To buy this, to buy that. To repair this, to repair that. My mother needs this and that. And my daughter needs money from school.

Luckily my wife is not like that, however, I know other girls who are that way. When you sell your house and come with your dog, she knows that you have no easy way to go back. Some girls will take advantage of this.

When you ask a Filipina what are the most important things in life she will answer: Family

The next important thing is: Money

Some girls will consider you as the ATM to support her familiy. Especially when you are much older than her.

So, my advice is to be careful what you want. You should always have a plan B to get out of it. e.g Enough money in the USA to go home.

Never, ever buy something in the name of your girlfriend. If you do it, consider the money lost. If you buy a condo, it should be on your name. You cannot buy any land here as a foreigner.

Andy from Boracay (8 years in the Philippines)

@Andy_1963

Excellent advice. 3 months later lets hope the OP is not already caught in the spiders web..

My mail forwarder wanted $200 for sending my card. It looks like $100 for labor. Is this the new ballpark price?

My mail forwarder wanted $200 for sending my card. It looks like $100 for labor. Is this the new ballpark price? - @Twlk123

My daughter is the mail forwarder for our debit and credit cards. This typically costs me $120.00 for reimbursement of DHL charges to her plus I transfer her $50.00 for her trouble.

I am surprised your forwarder charges that much. Can you tell us the forwarder name (understand if you prefer not to).

So far I have stayed away from mail forwarders because I am not sure if banks, cc card issuers and SSA accept them,聽 and, if you get one that "looks" like a regular street address, is it legal for you to call it your "physical address". However, if I become convinced it is OK and acceptable legally, I will use one.

@Lotus Eater

Thank you do much. The information is sound advice. I have been to the Philippines and met her and her entire family

The advice about the $400. Is sound and I'll do just that

We have been chatting for almost two years so I feel comfortable and trusted, of course anything can go wrong

Thanks again

@Lotus Eater
Thank you do much. The information is sound advice. I have been to the Philippines and met her and her entire family
The advice about the $400. Is sound and I'll do just that
We have been chatting for almost two years so I feel comfortable and trusted, of course anything can go wrong
Thanks again - @Travelnman59

I know this may sound mean. First, $400.00 is very generous. $400.00 will be your baseline after you get here, meaning that the $400.00 is your zero point. They may rationalize that the $400 is payment in kind for having her as your wife and joining the family and it becomes your expected contribution. Anything above $400 might be considered a "gift" unless it becomes regular and then it becomes expected as well. For me, I would ask myself; would they all have survived had you never met her? (Yes of course they would). I do not disagree with being generous but just understand the culture and don't let them ever think you "owe" them anything because that is the path of least resistance to preserving pride. I have been married to a filipina for 38 years and sent money to support her family all that time. Knowing what I know now, I would have done it differently.

Thanks again your advice is excellent and always appreciated. You have.given me a different perspective I'm sure will serve me well

Agree Dan and I also am not trying to be mean when I say the following.

Travelnman, I'm not sure if you understand that the average Filipino lives here on P8K to P16K per month and survive. Our caretaker/cleaner here is paid P9.6K per month, we pay his Philhealth and food so like P12K per month,,,,,, that's 6 days a week and he is very happy.

Giving your lady say P24K for nothing is like digging a hole for the future, as Dan mentioned more will be expected.

I learnt the word NO long ago and years on no more asks from family or supposed friends,,,, here borrow means gift, don't get caught. Be fair but firm with your limits at all levels.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Twlk123 said . . . My mail forwarder wanted $200 for sending my card. It looks like $100 for labor. Is this the new ballpark price?

****

Better do some research for a new mail forwarder for the next time. I use US Global Mail since 2018 as others on this forum. I've had no problems. They give you a choice of options on choosing what company will do the actual pickup and delivery.

I choose FedEx about $55, delivery 4 to 6 days.

聽 聽 聽 聽Neither my wife nor myself has received any mail delivery since we came to our house in Ilocos Sur or our house in Baguio on November 20th聽 Expect to be back in Bethlehem, PA on May 9th, pick up our mail forwarded to a UPS store for 5 months on May 10, and聽 a visit to the local post office to eliminate our mail forwarding.聽 Had our income taxes postponed, will get it filed by the end of the month.

@Travelnman59

I have been to the Philippines and met her and her entire family

From what you say it seems that your GF and family are all in the city of Davao. Not an ideal situation. The family at close range can put enormous pressure via their daughter on an expat to 'cough up'

of course anything can go wrong.

More often than not it does. Just remember to refrain from remarking on the former president (& mayor of Davao) Duterte's arrest by the International Criminal Court or you might end up returning stateside in a body bag.

@Travelnman59 I have been to the Philippines and met her and her entire familyFrom what you say it seems that your GF and family are all in the city of Davao. Not an ideal situation. The family at close range can put enormous pressure via their daughter on an expat to 'cough up'of course anything can go wrong. More often than not it does. Just remember to refrain from remarking on the former president (& mayor of Davao) Duterte's arrest by the International Criminal Court or you might end up returning stateside in a body bag. - @Lotus Eater

Very true about the family being able to put pressure on you via the daughter living so close but I would add that it is just as easy to put the pressure on even if you live far away, just by using social media. Your G/F will no doubt be chatting to and video calling the family daily and the requests for money will probably still come so you need to set limits from the start. I would also be very wary of adding any members of your G/F's family to your social media sites to avoid the possibility of them messaging you directly to ask for money. This happened to me with my ex, her mum messaged me asking for money聽 and I refused. She did not even want her daughter to know about it which I pointed out would have been unfair since my ex was working abroad and working long hours and if I had agreed the family would still be getting the same support from their daughter each month along with money from myself. My reasoning was why send money to the family without my ex knowing about it, knowing that if I sent money my ex may not need to earn so much and therefore could return home at the end of her overseas contract and find a job paying less at home and be able to see her daughter every day.

I think this was what put the kibosh on our relationship since I told my ex about the request from her mum for me to send money and then I think the mum warned my ex about continuing our relationship. Family will always come first and money and whether to support the family financially, who exactly will you be contributing to and if you do, how much you contribute is a very difficult minefield to navigate. I for example would never consider supporting brothers, sisters, their families and aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I think if you do decide to contribute that it should just be to the parents and if you do you will need to talk to your G/F and come up with a reasonable figure that you can easily afford.

While I will mention we have wandered far of topic but I will add that the simple answer is the word NO and said it many times before on this forum,,,,,, works very well and when they ask for money it's usually to Ben and he says NO,,,,,,,, but Steve has plenty of money to which he replies "yes and he worked his guts out for 45 years for his retirement" "not yours" "he is still waiting to be repaid when he has lent money with the promise to repay"

NO is very easy to say and works.

As others mention don't live too close to family or they will want to live with you and sponge.

Hard ass yes but you can't fix stupid or lazy people.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Also there are emergency situations to consider which the foreigner will be called on to pay for or contribute towards. Funny thing I noticed is that an emergency to me would be a serious illness, damage caused to property by flooding and natural disasters. For Filipinos emergencies seem to include motorcycle repairs, school fees, the broken washing machine and other regular things that we in the West budget for and take into consideration.

Running out of Red Horse or Cigs is probably an emergency to some in the Philippines and let's be honest - if you give and support the extended family, half your money is probably spent on booze, cigs and socialising.

Old Dog New Tricks in one of his cerebral videos had the right idea of working on a 鈥榥eed to know鈥� basis when meeting a potential GF for the first time.

State that you rely solely on your state pension and nothing else. In your case CA you can allude to the fact that your ex Ukrainian Mrs took you to the cleaners and that the only reason you have come to the Philippines is to 鈥榮urvive鈥� financially and that you would expect a new partner to occasionally 鈥楪o Dutch鈥� .

That should separate the gouging crap from everything else.

Yes and no Cherry, a story I have mentioned here on this forum a few years ago.........

Bens mum and dad were anti vaxers through Covid, while I and Ben said they should get vaccinated they refused, even their daughter (midwife) and Bens niece (a head nurse) pushed them,,,,,,,, they listened to all the propaganda and I said to Ben if they get sick we are not paying for their stupidity,,,,,,, they both got Covid, FIL was in hospital for 2 or 3 weeks and recovered, MIL was there for near 6 weeks and eventually passed away, yes sad times and guess who they asked to pay the P1.5M hospital bill?聽

NO!

Ben had savings from Australia and paid P1M and the family is still paying off the balance years later.

Some times you have to stand your ground.

Back on topic I don't have a mail forwarding problem as 99% is digitised and my debit/credit cards my sis simply gives me the info as we only use those online and simply punch in the data for a flight or hotel etc.

Drivers license renewal online, passport renewal courier the relevant docs to the Oz embassy in Manila etc.

Never forget the simple word NO or you will get taken to the cleaner post haste.

Cheers, Steve.

Old Dog New Tricks in one of his cerebral videos had the right idea of working on a 鈥榥eed to know鈥� basis when meeting a potential GF for the first time. State that you rely solely on your state pension and nothing else. In your case CA you can allude to the fact that your ex Ukrainian Mrs took you to the cleaners and that the only reason you have come to the Philippines is to 鈥榮urvive鈥� financially and that you would expect a new partner to occasionally 鈥楪o Dutch鈥� . That should separate the gouging crap from everything else. - @Lotus Eater

I have not seen that video but I do think finding out everything concerning what the foreigner will be expected to provide and who for is best asked early in the relationship. Even though I have had a great time with women in the Philippines and do not regret seeing and being romantically involved with them, I could have saved myself a lot of time and effort if I had known about the financially side before in some of my relationships. I have not lost great amounts of money so am probably one of the lucky ones and I do know when to say NO. I estimate I will have enough money to retire there and live a good and comfortable life there so going Dutch is not really needed. I will however go with your suggestion about laying out聽 my situation with the divorce settlement. I will have聽 a state pension, a work pension, my Armed Forces pension and a small private pension, I will probably not use the small private pension to fund my retirement and use that to go towards a emergency fund if I need to bail and return to sunny England.

Retirement for me is still over 4 years away but I have started to think about it and also am thinking of maybe setting up base in Da Nang first and living there for a while and taking extended trips from Vietnam to visit the Philippines when the visa run comes around.

Thank you so much for the information I'll certainly take your advice

Regards